Montego collection - not looking good - but maybe not too bad either!

[HillmanImp]

Trouble is I acted on impulse thinking "I'll save this car" without taking into account the financial considerations once I had purchased it!

 

I think you are preaching to the perverted here. I think most of us have eyes bigger than our belly in that sense.

 

TBH its a crap old Montego. If its borked, is there any point you chucking ££££ at it? It looks pretty grim overall with bad paint etc. If it was a tidy car with the ailments you describe then it would be a nice save for someone out there to get nicely fettled. However, I don't see anyone wanting to actually restore this from this state until they are rarer, so by chucking money at it you are probably just deferring its ultimate fate......and not for long.

 

Once MOTd, if you sell it at best it will be run around in for a bit by someone before it is broken for spares, at worst it will end up on a 'comedy' banger rally.

[Parky]

Agree with the other posters, none of that sounds too bad. Whip the engine out, do the clutch, give it a once over while everything is accessible, job jobbed. Brakes are a doddle and cheap, welding might be an issue depending where it is but it's only expensive if you have to pay for someone else's labour.

 

Even the clutch kit is only £36 from Rimmers - barg!

[lisbon_road]

Doesn't sound too serious.

 

Good luck with it, up to you but I think it is worth it.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

If the shell is solid beyond the bit of welding on the sills I'd say it's worth saving. I mean are there many of these left?

[HMC]

I very nearly bought this in january but got my Rover group fix with the R8 instead. This sort of decision is always a difficult one, especially when other cars come into the equation its often a question of being selective about where the money goes. I'm as culpable as the rest of us when it come to throwing caution to the wind.

 

It sounds like you havent submitted it for the test yet? If its just brakes and pads I think its really straightforward on these, and from the sounds of things even parts through rimming bros are cheap as chips. Hopefully the clutch can hold out and be done on a rolling (or failing to roll) basis. If you don't need it as your only transport it might be doable by aiming to scrape through a MOT and chip away at anything else (though hopefully that bust heater matrix pipe will be sorted by winter!!!)

[theorganist]

I very nearly bought this in january but got my Rover group fix with the R8 instead. This sort of decision is always a difficult one, especially when other cars come into the equation its often a question of being selective about where the money goes. I'm as culpable as the rest of us when it come to throwing caution to the wind.

 

It sounds like you havent submitted it for the test yet? If its just brakes and pads I think its really straightforward on these, and from the sounds of things even parts through rimming bros are cheap as chips. Hopefully the clutch can hold out and be done on a rolling (or failing to roll) basis. If you don't need it as your only transport it might be doable by aiming to scrape through a MOT and chip away at anything else (though hopefully that bust heater matrix pipe will be sorted by winter!!!)

It's not had its test it actually still has MOT till the end of April. I just wanted to see the extent of what might be needed.

 

The welding apparently is only a small amount at the end of the sill, I think my mechanic just saw the state of it and came to the conclusion that a new clutch, brake discs etc, the heater matrix, were not worth it (especially at garage prices). I don't think he thinks mechanically it is that good although the engine pulls well, doesn't seem to smoke and doesn't sound bad to me apart from the auto choke having a mind of its own. He is an enthusiast having two Landcrabs, a ADO16, a Morris Minor Pick-up and an early MG Metro and he thinks highly of the Montego as a car so I don't think he is your typical mechanic who see's an old car and thinks the worse!

 

I do have the Horizon which is working well and the Princess which is pretty dependable when the electrics feel up to working so I can take my time over the mechanical bits.

 

I will get it MOT'd assuming there are no nasty surprises, looking at the Haynes manual the brakes look straight forward!!

 

When MOT'd I will decide on its future. As long as it is solid I don't mind it being a bit tatty!

[purplebargeken]

This is Autoshite. It has to be done. It is the law.

[Jim Bell]

Thanks Guys.

 

I will look into getting it MOT'd then decide what I will do with it once it's MOT'd!

 

Trouble is I acted on impulse thinking "I'll save this car" without taking into account the financial considerations once I had purchased it!

 

This is one of my failings too.

At least you've picked a lovely car to be held in ruin by. It really does look splendid.

[catsinthewelder]

I think we should have a Midlands Massive Spannering session and see if 6 blokes can fix it in a day.

 

I'll bring my welder and Mats clutch alignment dooda

[Pillock]

I'll bring sarcasm, teabags and incompetence.

[Noel Tidybeard]

do not asume the matrix is dead- its just as likely to be the pipe that bolts to matrix and goes thru the bulkhead to the heater pipes

[Angrydicky]

Yes, Frank's hit the nail on the head! I'm 95% sure it'll be the pipes, they're mild steel and rot out, it's a really common fault with Maestros and Montegos. 

 

The ones on my car split when Gary had it so he bypassed the heater. I removed the pipes (they're sort of under the glovebox/centre console) and found a few pin holes. I cleaned the whole thing up, painted it, filled the holes with araldite and bodged it using 1/2" heater hose cut down the middle and wrapped round, held in place with jubilee clips. To its credit, it got the heater working for the winter and it's only just started weeping again.

 

I've got some remanufactured copper ones on the way from someone in the club, but it's certainly possible to bodge the original pipes like I did. If yours are in a terrible condition, and I can stop the leak on my bodged originals then you're welcome to them, once I receive my replacement ones! They weren't cheap at £56, but as I've got no plans to get rid of the car I see it as a good investment.

[purplebargeken]

Happy to help with a bit of valeting.

[theorganist]

Thanks guys for all the offers of help, I am very humbled and it's much appreciated.

 

I will look into the pipework as indeed I read that they are common problems on these cars for becoming porous.

 

I feel more positive about the car.

[Noel Tidybeard]

it is possible the take the matrix out without removing the dash

 

• glovebox needs un-riviting and comes out
• silver metal bracket needs to be bent/cut (prolly the hardest part to do!)
• matrix will JUST have enough room to slide out
• dont forget to save foam pieces of old matrix if fitting a new one

[theorganist]

Okay thanks for the information. I'll put it on the list of jobs.

 

Taking the dashboard out sounds like a right pain! If I don't need to then great

[D Spares & Tyres]

If I were you I would reconnect the heater pipes and put some K Seal in the coolant. It should work if its the matrix, but maybe not if the pipes have rotted badly. If it doesn`t work then you have only lost a tenner

[theorganist]

True, I guess it's worth a try. Thanks.

[Angrydicky]

You shouldn't have to touch the glovebox, let alone the dashboard, to remove the pipes, assuming the bottom of the Montego dash is the same as the early Maestro one. It's a grovelling around in the footwell job, but you can certainly get them out without removing anything. There are three bolts with allen key heads that hold the pipes to the matrix, and on your car there will be some o-rings sealing it.

 

This picture might help you get an idea of what you'll be looking at. The heater box is upside down here.

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

different dash & heater on early maestro

[Angrydicky]

Ah right. I knew the dash was different but thought the heater was the same, the pipes definitely are. If the offending area can be accessed by removing the glovebox, that's not too bad.

[purplebargeken]

Mid'ish 90's saw me working as a CPN at Charing Cross hospital. One of my colleagues had a red Montego, she drove it like she stole it. She was about 5' 2", blond haired and blue eyed, looked cutely fit but swore like a trooper and was as dirty as your imagination would allow. Looked like butter wouldn't melt but.......

 

Just sayin' like.

[Taff]

Mid'ish 90's saw me working as a CPN at Charing Cross hospital. One of my colleagues had a red Montego, she drove it like she stole it. She was about 5' 2", blond haired and blue eyed, looked cutely fit but swore like a trooper and was as dirty as your imagination would allow. Looked like butter wouldn't melt but.......

 

Just sayin' like.

 

keep going...

[Noel Tidybeard]

Mid'ish 90's saw me working as a CPN at Charing Cross hospital. One of my colleagues had a red Montego, she drove it like she stole it. She was about 5' 2", blond haired and blue eyed, looked cutely fit but swore like a trooper and was as dirty as your imagination would allow. Looked like butter wouldn't melt but.......

 

Just sayin' like.

i'm sorry but we need pitchers to back this up or its all lies